Flexible adapter coupling



April 18 1939- M. A. ELLIOTT 2,155,008

FLEXIBLE ADAPTER COUPLING Filled July 5, 1938 Patented Apr. 1s, 1939 l il 2,155,008 I UNITED STATES PATENT omer. j

2,155,003 FLEXIBLE- ADAPTER coUPuNG Morris Aubrey Elliott, Baltimore,Md.

Application July 5, 1938, Serial No. 217,507

l'f2 claims. (ci.k 285-81) A This invention refers to pipe fittings andmore Figure 3 is another sectional view taken lonparticularly to adevice for connecting soft-magitudinally after the connector has beendrawnterial piping to hard-material piping. It has up tightly,

among its objects to provide a device of this Figure 4 is an end view ofthe connector at kind that will have the following features: the bolsterend.

(l) A flexible shoulder to permit the adaption Figure 5 is a side viewof the bolster.

of the shell of the connection to suit the surface Similar referencecharacters refer to similar contact of the connecting pipes with theshell; parts throughout the drawing.

(2)'A series of ratchet cuts to keep the piping In the drawing, theconstruction of the confrom turning after being connected; nector isarranged with the exterior shell I, pref- (3) A suitable bolster forspreading the softer erably of soft metallic material like brass orpiping to better align same with the shell and copper. The portion ofthe shell arranged for make its surface contact non-leakable; thehard-material piping is provided with an (4) To provide a cementlessconnection for internal screw-threaded arrangement 2, to take piping.the external screw thread 3 of a piece of piping l5 Other objects willbecome apparent as the 4 that screws into it. These screw threads areinvention is more fully set forth. tapered in the conventional mannerand there- In the applicants copending application, he fore tend tospread the connector shell as they has outlined the construction of aconnecting proceed more deeply into it. To take care of member whichrequires the use of a cement, and this spreading and allow the vshell toadj-ast itis used for similar purposes as this invention. self withoutsplitting or binding, the shell end However, in this invention, thepurpose has been portion 5, is reduced in diameter to provide a Y toprovide a construction that will afford conconcentric exible shoulder.This shoulder is siderable adjustment to the device and therebystretched out in diameter when the piping 4 is make it more effective topiping that is used, screwed deeply onto the shell, and until this undergreater pressures, and without the use of piping has come into Contactwith a ratchet bolcement or other mediums for filling up the unster 6.This ratchet bolster is preferably made evenness that the contactsurfaces may have, 0f CaSe-hardened Steel with its internally dis- 'I'hedevice is provided with a shoulder 0n the posed end portion 1 bevelledand the end exportion arranged for connection with the hardtermalSurface 8 radially Cut at 91 t0 DTOVide a 30 material piping, which isiiexible enough to perseries of slanting projecting ns I0. The shell mitthe shell to stretch and adjust itself to the l is provided with aninternal passage ll 6X- increased diameter of the pipe-thread beingtending from the internal screw threaded porscrewed into it. This allowsthe hard-material tion 2 at one end t0 a bevelled Tedu'lirlg passagepiping to enter the connector shell and exert full l2 at the other. Thislatter passage is adapted 35 pressure on the case-hardened bolster tospread t0 take an enlarged funnel end DOItiOn I3 0f the enlarged funnelend of the softer piping, the soft-material Unthreaded tubing I4, andenand make it contact the inner surface of the ease the peripheralsurface of the same, while shell in a leak-proof manner. Without thisexithe bevelled lJOltiOn 'l 0f the bOlSte engages bility, theingoinghard material piping would the internal surface of the tubing I8, Thebevel 40 bind and not provide the desired pressure for 0f the bolsterand that of the casing are prefersurface contact between thesoft-material pipably parallel. l

ing, the shell and the bolster, to make it leak The soft-material tubingis inserted `in the proof. Even slight unevenness in the surfacesbevelled Passage l2 S0 that its funnel portion I3 of the piping andshell are adjusted, under the projects and fits into same. The bolsteris inpressure, to make the contact leak-proof in this serted in thecasing until its bevel portion 1, device, enters and nts the funnel. Thehard material In the drawing, which illustrates an embodi'- piping isthen inserted and screwed into the ment of this invention, threadedportion 2 until it contacts the surface 8 Figure 1 is a side view of theconnector emof the bolster 6. After that, the screwing of the 50 bodyingthis invention, and shown attached to piping 4 into the casing causesits screw threads piping that it connects together, to exert pressure onthe ,shoulder portion 5 of Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view theshell and spread same suiliciently to prethrough the connector attachedto piping, just vent binding. 'I'his also permits pressure to beinserted therein, and not drawn tightly up, exerted on the bolster andforce its bevel portion 1 into the funnel portion I3 of the tubing I4.The more the piping 4 is screwed into the shell, the more the bolstersqueezesthe funnel I3 be-A tween its bevel I and/the internal bevelledsurface I2 of the shell, and thus makes it leak proof. At the same time,the shoulder 5, will give sufficiently to permit the piping 4 to enterwithout offering suiiicient resistance to prevent its proper pressure onthe bolster and incidently on the funnel portion I3. The ns I0 engagethe end surface of the pipe 4 and cause the bolster to attach itselfsecurely to it. This makes the bolster tie in with this piping and grindand t itself into the funnel as the tightening pressure is exerted. Theresult is, the piping at each end connecting portion of the connector,are connected into a leak proof attachment. The adjustment of theshoulder 5 takes care of the piping 4 and the bevelled surfaces 1 and I2for the tubing I4. 'Ihe opening I5 is made sufficiently large to takethe piping I4 which is funneled out after placement in the conventionalmanner. The adjustments just mentioned enable sufficient pressure to bebrought to bear on all the surfaces through which there might beleakage, to prevent such leakage, andA have enough such flexibleadjustment to avoid splittingl or breakage of the connector.

. Particular attention is called to the arrangement of the shellportion. that takes the hardmaterial piping or rigid pipe. 'I'hescrew-threaded portion 2 is cut straight, and not tapered like that onthe piping.

When the conventional rig-id piping is inserted, the shoulder on theshell, which is constructed as indicated in the drawing, bends outwardlyon a gentle curve. diameter with the outermost portion making thegreater, somewhat like a funnel of curved contour. W'hen this shoulderbends as described, it adjusts itself to the threads on the pipeentering, and provides a full contact therewith. This distributes thepressure on all the screw threads on the shell from the screw threads onthe pipe.

If the internal screw threads on theshell were tapered, this pressurewould not be distributed evenly on them, because the tapering on thepipe would allow only a few threads to make ample contact. The bevel onthe bolster is preferably of large angular spread, to enable thepressure of bending the funnel in the soft piping to be distributed overthe largest area feasible and practical. This angular spread should bepreferably about an angle of 45 degrees. When the bolster is in placeand the fins hav clawed themselves into the rigid pipe, the turning ofthe shell proceeds without turning it. The bolster becomes stationaryinside the shell While the other parts of the device rotate around it.The

piping v4 vis the cause of this because it is stationary in the wall orother fastening holding it, and holds the bolster likewise.

While but one form of the invention is shown Actually the shellstretches inv 'in the drawing it is not desired to limit thisapplication for patent to this particular construction, otherwise thanlimited by the prior art, as it is appreciated that other designs couldbe made that would use the same principles and come within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1; A connector for attaching hard-material and soft tubing together,comprising in combination, a shell having an internal passagetherethrough, one end portion of which is screw-threaded and the otherend portion-bevelled to a constricted opening, said shell` having itsscrew-threaded portion rendered exibly stretchable, a hollow bolstermember adapted for insertion in the shell passage with one end portionbevelled similarly to the bevel of the shell for engaging tubing placedtherein' and tightening thereon, the other end portion of the bolstermember being arranged to receive the end of piping threaded into theshell and be forced tightly on the tubing, and

ilns on the bolster-member for locking the said piping thereto, andcausing the said member to grind into the tubing as the piping isthreaded therein.

2. A connector of the class described for connecting rigid pipe and softtubing together, comprising in combination, a shell formed with astraight internal screw thread therein disposed at one end portionthereof for engaging the screw threads on the end portion of a piece ofrigid pipe, the end portion of the shell on .which its screw threads areformed being thinned to permit external movement and stretching whenforced on the screw threads oi the rigid pipe andthereby bindresiliently thereon to an adjustable degree, the other end portion ofthe shell being restricted inwardly to provide an internal and externalbevel with asurface adapted to bear closely against the exterior surfaceof the wall of a piece of tubing to be connected, and a cylindricalintermediate portion between the said end portions of the shell with itsinternal surface and wall straight and smooth, a hollow bolster memberdisposed in said shell and of the proximate length of internal portionof the intermediate'portion with its external surface smooth andstraight to slide readily on the said internal portion, said bolstermember having an extension piece extended to correspond and coact withthe internal bevel of the shell and similarly bevelled to engage withthe internal surface of the soft tubing so as to funnel the same andcompress it tightly and securely between the shell and bolsterextension, and slanting projecting fins on the surface of the other endportion of the bolster arranged to face the end surface of the rigid'pipe and engage therewith and therein as the screw threadsaforementioned are tightened and the extension piece compresses thefunnel of the soft tubing, substantially as described.

MORRIS AUBREY ELLIOTT.

